SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
A user downloads a software update from a company's internal website. The update file is hashed, and the hash value is published on a separate secure page. After downloading, the user computes the hash of the downloaded file and compares it to the published hash. The two values match. Which security concept is primarily demonstrated by this comparison?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse integrity with authentication, mistakenly thinking that verifying a hash proves the file's origin (authentication) rather than its unaltered state (integrity).
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Integrity
Hashing is a one-way cryptographic function that produces a fixed-size digest from input data. By comparing the computed hash of the downloaded file to the published hash, the user verifies that the file has not been altered during transit or storage. This directly demonstrates the security concept of integrity, which ensures data has not been tampered with or corrupted.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Confidentiality
Why it's wrong here
Confidentiality focuses on preventing unauthorized disclosure of information, ensuring that only authorized individuals or systems can access sensitive data. While a hash comparison confirms the file's unaltered state, it does not encrypt the data or restrict who can view or download the file. Therefore, this action does not contribute to maintaining the confidentiality of the software update itself or its contents.
When this WOULD be correct
A user downloads a sensitive document from a company's internal website that is encrypted using HTTPS. The user verifies that the document was not intercepted by checking the TLS certificate. This demonstrates confidentiality because encryption protects the data from being read during transmission.
- ✓
Integrity
Why this is correct
Integrity ensures data has not been tampered with or corrupted during transit or storage. When a user downloads a software update, comparing its cryptographic hash (e.g., SHA256) with a known, trusted hash value provided by the company directly verifies that the file's contents are exactly as intended. This process specifically confirms the data's integrity, ensuring the downloaded software is free from unauthorized modifications or accidental damage.
- ✗
Availability
Why it's wrong here
Availability ensures that authorized users can access systems and data when required, typically addressing issues like system uptime, network accessibility, and resource capacity. Comparing a file's hash after download does not contribute to the system's ability to provide the file in the first place, nor does it guarantee the service will remain accessible. This action is a post-download verification, unrelated to the continuous accessibility of the software update source.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing a scenario where a company implements redundant servers and load balancing to ensure users can always download updates, even during high traffic or server failures, would demonstrate availability.
- ✗
Authentication
Why it's wrong here
Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user, system, or service attempting to access resources. While a hash comparison confirms the integrity of the downloaded file, it does not verify the identity of the server from which the software was downloaded, nor does it authenticate the user performing the download. This process is about data validation, not identity verification of the source or recipient.
When this WOULD be correct
A user logs in using a password and biometric scan. Which security concept is demonstrated? The answer would be authentication, as it verifies the user's identity.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SC-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓IntegrityCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Integrity ensures data has not been tampered with or corrupted during transit or storage. When a user downloads a software update, comparing its cryptographic hash (e.g., SHA256) with a known, trusted hash value provided by the company directly verifies that the file's contents are exactly as intended. This process specifically confirms the data's integrity, ensuring the downloaded software is free from unauthorized modifications or accidental damage.
✗ConfidentialityWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The scenario involves verifying that the file has not been altered, which is a matter of data integrity, not confidentiality. Confidentiality is about preventing unauthorized access, not ensuring data remains unchanged.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A user downloads a sensitive document from a company's internal website that is encrypted using HTTPS. The user verifies that the document was not intercepted by checking the TLS certificate. This demonstrates confidentiality because encryption protects the data from being read during transmission.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse hashing with encryption or think that protecting data from tampering also keeps it secret, but hashing does not conceal the content.
✗AvailabilityWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Availability ensures that resources are accessible when needed, but comparing hashes verifies that the file has not been altered, which is a matter of integrity, not availability.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing a scenario where a company implements redundant servers and load balancing to ensure users can always download updates, even during high traffic or server failures, would demonstrate availability.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse availability with the ability to access and verify the file, thinking that the hash comparison confirms the file is 'available' in its original form, rather than recognizing it as an integrity check.
✗AuthenticationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Authentication verifies the identity of a user or system, not the integrity of data. Comparing hashes ensures the file hasn't been altered, which is integrity, not authentication.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A user logs in using a password and biometric scan. Which security concept is demonstrated? The answer would be authentication, as it verifies the user's identity.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse authentication with integrity because both involve verification processes, but authentication verifies identity, while integrity verifies data unchanged.
Analysis generated from the official SC-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Core Security Concepts
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
Key term
Hashing
Hashing is a one-way mathematical function that converts any input data into a fixed-length string of characters, called a hash or digest, which is used to verify data integrity and store passwords securely.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SC-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SC-900 exam.